A Midnight Stroll in the Woods - Book 1 in the Troll Warrior series

Chapter 2 - The Stranger

Finally away from the Spinster and her house, I make my leave and run like nobodys business. Up to the moonlit hill and over down to the woods on the other side.

It's pitch black, most people would be scared. Not me! I lie down under a big old oak tree and enjoy the quietness of the world at this moment. The only noise is the crack of twigs as a sleek fox slides past, stalking a field mouse.

After a while I hear a different noise. Like that of a human being running.

I get up and slip around to the other side of the tree trunk. A man runs past,  looking worriedly behind him every few moments.

I move around the trunk a bit to get a better view. As I move a twig snaps under my feet. He turns around startled,  and calls out.

"Who's there?"

I stay quiet and wait for him to go away.  But to my surprise he gets out a dagger and approches the tree I'm hiding behind.

I slide away to the next tree and hope he doesn't see me.

There is a cracking noise behind me and I turn around, startled by the noise. It was just a bird flying out of the tree. Relieved, I turn around, only to be shoved by neck against the tree. I struggle to get away but my atacker only pushes me harder against the tree.

'What are you doing here?' he asks.

I start to reply but he puts his hand over me mouth and signals to be quiet. After a few anxious minutes he takes his hand off my mouth and whispers that it is dangerous for 'my kind' to be out in the night. I give him a questioning look then realise he was the man I saw running past my tree.

There was a creak of wheels in the distance and he tells me to get down and be quiet.

I crouch down and watch him.

'Who's smart idea was it to send you out in the night?' he asks, 'Honestly! No one thinks these days.'

The creak of wheels is getting closer, and with each creak his face looks more worried. Eventually the creaking is just on the other side of the tree. He looks at me and motions to be dead quiet.

I sigh and nod.

Neither of us notice the sound of a door opening, or footsteps coming our way. We are too focussed on being quiet.

Suddenly there is a man pushing me to the ground and a yelp of surprise tells me the other guy has been tackled too.

Strong hands wrap some rough rope around my waist and legs, tying my hands to my sides and my feet together.

There are deep voices laughing and I can smell a putrid stench. Like old socks and mouldy bread. We are propped up against a tree. From this angle I get a great but revolting view of our atackers.

The look like trolls from what I can see. Exactly like in the story books. Green skin covered in warts, big ugly heads with ludicrous features and shabby clothing.

I can't tell how many of them there are but from my view there is at least 10. I'm astounded. I thought trolls were a myth. Not many people have ever spoken to fairy tale creatures.

I choose not to struggle. Even if I get taken away by them, anything is better than living with the spinster.

One of the trolls clears it's throat.

'Well boss'l be glad fellas! We got two of 'em t'night!'

At this point a troll came over and tried to pour a sticky liquid into my mouth. I turn my head away but it is too strong. The troll turns my head back and prises open my mouth. As soon as the liquid enters my mouth I start to feel tired. Snoores from beside me tell me my companion has been dosed already.

I give into the overpowering urges to sleep and start to dose off.

All I hear before I fall asleep is a troll saying,

'Two Gliffs! And in one night too! Boss'l be glad... '

Then I blacked out.

__________________________________________________________________________

I got a bit exited when I realised Thalia would be kidnapped by trolls!

It didn't quite work out how I imagined it would though. But I still reckon Thalia is in for a bit of an adventure!

Taylor